MarketPlace

JULY 2017

That sounds like a broken record

HIGHLIGHTS Australia nudged into record sales numbers for the fourth month running, with July closing a skinny 1.6 percent ahead of the same month last year. The hot spot is the medium-SUV class, where the annual sales tally is now 16.6 percent ahead of the same time last year. Subaru was the brand to watch, jumping three places on the charts thanks to the new-gen XV. Volkswagen’s run-out of the Golf VII was popular with buyers. Oh, and Honda snared its second customer for the $420,000 NSX hybrid sports car.

Admittedly, the PSA pair are in a ‘transitional phase’ as local distribution switches from Sime Darby to Inchcape,, and Renault’s solid 763 sales in July proves there’s still plenty of goodwill for French product. But PSA needs to try much harder, starting with more competitive pricing.

HOLDEN ASTRA

Out went the locally made Cruze, and in its place comes the fully imported Astra. This is the BK Astra’s first appearance in the top 20 list since it launched last year, boosted by warranty and price incentives.

LAND ROVER

An all-new Land Rover Discovery, minus the funky safari roof, we should note, has helped swell the premium off-road brand’s numbers by 341 this month, giving it second place in the premium-SUV segment behind the BMW X5.